1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a print control apparatus to digitally generate and control image data used to form an image on a sheet by an image forming apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to a print control apparatus, a print control method, and a program that control printing using at least one color of special toner (e.g., toner for adjusting glossiness) in addition to a plurality of color toners of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the utility value of digital printing techniques has been surely increasing in an on-demand print market and a document print market of a small number of copies. Particularly, a full-color printing technique using electrophotography has the advantage over other printing techniques in terms of productivity, printing cost, and easiness in maintenance, and the market thereof is being rapidly widespread.
Under these circumstances, not only conventional full-color printing based on electrophotography using four colors (CMYK) of toners but also multicolor printing further using a special toner have been receiving attention, and a special printing market of high immediacy and on-demand characteristic has come into view.
Printing using a special toner, such as a clear toner, has become a focus of attention. There exists a printing apparatus to perform printing by superimposing a special toner, called a clear toner, on a color print in order to give glossiness to the color print.
In a typical printing method using the clear toner, the clear toner is evenly applied over an entire surface to increase glossiness. On the other hand, demand for a printing method of partially applying the clear toner has been increasing.
For example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-262821) suggests a technique of printing information about an apparatus in the form of watermark by using a clear toner.
Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-275250) suggests a technique of increasing glossiness by using a clear toner in addition to toners of four colors (CMYK).
In the above-mentioned related arts, printing using a clear toner is performed but setting in a printing apparatus to perform clear toner printing is not particularly considered. Without consideration of setting in the printing apparatus, a limit of the amount of toner used in each page is not properly controlled, so that improper printing may be performed.